


There goes my hero

by Queenofthebees



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Pining, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-04-14 01:28:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14125158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queenofthebees/pseuds/Queenofthebees
Summary: "You're like a modern Prince Charming," she noted suddenly, grinning when he snorted in amusement. "You are! Rescuing me from the inevitable embarrassment I would feel tomorrow if I continued drinking. Making sure I get home safe.""Of course," he replied as they approached the taxi rank. "I will always look after you."Tumblr prompt - Arthur x Lyanna where Arthur looks after a tipsy Lyanna.





	There goes my hero

He could spot her at the bar, dark hair pulled back in a half bun and the loose tresses tumbling down her back.

She was alone, the fact making him press his lips together in a tight, disapproving line as he made his way through the crowd towards her.

“Hey,” he greeted as he leaned against the bar.

She swallowed her drink quickly, giving him a lop-sided smile and if that hadn’t been clue enough to how drunk she was, the way her eyes were wide and twinkling, the way she had to grasp the bar for support as she leaned towards him would have been warning enough.

“Arthur! Heeeeey!” she giggled, reaching out to stroke his arm.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, trying desperately not to drop his gaze and watch her fingers against him. She shrugged.

“Meant to be on a date,” she replied before she gave a snigger. “It didn’t go well.”

“Sorry.”

“Turns out being a single mother isn’t on most guys dating lists,” she continued, taking another large sip of her drink and scoffing. “Who would have thought it?”

“They’re idiots,” he responded instantly.

“It is ridiculous!” she huffed, as though she hadn’t heard him talking at all. She shook her head at him and he smiled softly at her antics. Gods, she always could get him to smile. “It is you know!”

“What is?”

“The whole judging parents for having a life thing!” she hissed, tapping his chest lightly and tutting at him. He chuckled despite himself and that only made Lyanna’s scowl deepen, which only made him laugh harder.

“They say be with your child all the time, they come first. And yes, I would do anything to make sure Jon is happy, of course I would. But then they say take time for yourself. Okay, great. I do that. And then it is like no, you’re a bad mother because you are out when you have a kid.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t throw your drink at them,” he teased. For the first time, Lyanna’s lips twitched into a smile.

“This is the best vodka they have. It would be such a shame to waste it.”

“Always practical aren't you?" he chuckled, a warm smile lingering when she stuck her tongue out at him. "So, do you have a babysitter or…?”

“Rhaegar has him. Although if I said it was a date I was going on then I doubt he would have. He thinks I’m having drinks with workmates.”

“Ah,” Arthur stated, his thumbnail scraping under his pointer fingernail as he feigned interest in Rhaegar.

Once they had been friends. But then Rhaegar had cheated on his wife with Lyanna. That had been bad enough to strain their friendship but the true blow came when Lyanna announced she was pregnant and Rhaegar had told her that he wouldn’t leave his wife and two kids.

Lyanna had gone to her brother Ned, who had taken her in until she got back on her feet. But Lyanna never moved far from the Starks again, living just a couple of streets away so that Jon could have company with his cousins.

Rhaegar’s wife had found out about the affair eventually and divorced him. Rhaegar had come crawling back to Lyanna to beg forgiveness but she had refused to fall for him again. She did agree to allowing Rhaegar to see Jon though.

And while Rhaegar could be petty and try to buy Jon’s affections with the latest technologies, when he did put the effort in, he could be a good father to Jon. But that was the problem. Rhaegar picked and chose when he would be a good father to Jon and when he didn’t.

It was something Arthur couldn’t understand because Jon was such an endearing child. He loved him as if he were his own son and he liked to think Jon had affection for him too. Lyanna had told him a few times that when she was needing a babysitter, Jon would ask for him sometimes and the thought warmed Arthur’s heart.

Lyanna made to stand then but her wobbly legs caused her to fall forward. Arthur immediately opened his arms to catch her, the force of her fall sending him stumbling back into the bar with a hiss.

"Sorry!" she muttered before she started sniggering against his shoulder.

"You sound it," he teased, nudging her hip lightly. "Come on, I think we should get you home."

Sliding an arm over her shoulder to steady her, he wound them through the crowd and out of the door of the bar. Lyanna stumbled slightly in her heels, leaning heavily against Arthur's side and he closed his eyes as her flowery perfume assaulted his nostrils. Crisp and sweet, he noted, like the blue roses of the North that she adored. 

"You're like a modern Prince Charming," she noted suddenly, grinning when he snorted in amusement. "You are! Rescuing me from the inevitable embarrassment I would feel tomorrow if I continued drinking. Making sure I get home safe."

"Of course," he replied as they approached the taxi rank. "I will always look after you."

She squinted at him with an adorably confused frown as he let her go to open the taxi door. The look remained on her face as he ushered in into the vehicle before he crossed to the other side and slipped into the seat. He gave her address to the driver and ran a hand through his hair. So much for a quiet pint, he thought with amusement as he glanced at Lyanna again. It didn't matter though, he mused. He would do anything for Lyanna, she deserved better than Rhaegar, deserved someone who appreciated her fire as much as her beauty, who realised she liked flowers and love songs as much as she loved to go hiking and play football in the park with her young son. Rhaegar had only seen a beautiful young woman to show on his arm until he got bored of the novelty. 

"You were always there," she stated suddenly. Her voice caused him to jerk in surprise, having spent the last few minutes in silence.

He glanced across at her, smiling softly at how she was slumped against the seat in a way that would make her parents spin in their graves. She wasn't looking at him, instead staring out of the window, biting her lip in that adorable way she always did when she was thinking something over too much.

"Always will be," he assured her as the taxi pulled up to the pavement outside her house.

She seemed decidedly more sober as she stepped out of the car unaided and made her way up the steps. Arthur hovered behind her, ready to catch her should she stumble again. He raised his eyebrows as she slid her key into the lock and then paused. He barely had time to ask if everything was alright when she had turned to face him, her arm slinging around his neck to drag him down into a messy kiss.

It shouldn't have taken as many seconds as it did to pull her away and gently push her shoulders to keep her back. But how long had he thought of those lips on his? How often had he wondered what it would be like to be with her, to raise Jon with her as though they were a true family. He had thought far too much about how he would join them for their Sunday morning park visits where he would teach Jon all his best football moves, would buy the kid ice cream while Lyanna would roll her eyes and tell him he spoiled Jon far too much. And he would tease her that she was just worried Jon would like him more than her, which was a genuine fear to have because he was just so great.

But she was drunk and he couldn't go through with this now. Hadn't he just spent that taxi ride thinking about how she deserved better, deserved someone who would treat her right.

"You're drunk Lyanna," he murmured, his tone firm. Lyanna frowned and he hated how he immediately thought she was damn cute when she was annoyed with him. The way her grey eyes flashed, the way her nose scrunched up and her brow furrowed.

"I know what I'm doing," she snapped. "I'm not a child!"

"No, you're not," he agreed softly. "But I don't want you to regret it in the morning." She opened her mouth to protest once more but he shook his head, speaking quickly before she could. "If you remember this in the morning, when you are sober, feel free to phone. Otherwise, we'll pretend it never happened."

He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek and bid her goodnight. He  felt her eyes follow him as he descended the steps again and it took all his willpower not to turn and look back at him.

***

Turning the shower off at the sound of the doorbell, he sighed and reached for the towel and tied it around his waist. Sliding a hand through his hair to keep it from falling in his face he padded his way down the hallway to where he could see the shadow through the frosted glass.

Lyanna grinned at him as he opened the door, holding two cups of coffee up as her appreciative gaze raked down his chest.

"So, I'm sober now," she declared, her eyes fixed on the water droplets that were disappearing beneath the towel as he clutched it to him. She licked her lips slowly, her eyes trailing back up to his as she purred. "Where were we?"


End file.
